As a DES daughter(my mother was given a drug in pregnancy that crossed the placental barrier and caused lots of problems for lots of DES daughters like me), I am very, very uncomfortable with a pregnant woman receiving any kind of drugs. Most times, “just say no” is the best policy for over-the-counter and prescription drugs during pregnancy, as most doctors would council. But to every rule, there are exceptions and, perhaps, the annual flu shot is just such an exception.
A study reported by the New York Times on March 21, 2013 reviewed the records of 55,570 pregnant, Canadian women shows that just fewer than half were given the flu vaccination during pregnancy. Adjusted for other variables, it seems the immediate outcome for the fetus was beneficial. The study covered the time period 2009-2010, during the infamous H1N1 pandemic. The vaccinated women had fewer preterm births, fewer still births and fewer undersized infants.
These were immediate results, the question of adverse effects appearing later in life is not anticipated. The CDC in the US recommends the flue vaccine for all pregnant women.
